R David Foster, not wishing to impose more words on anybody, most importantly himself, provides this blog for anyone who wishes clarification through explanations by means of words.
Honestly, let me tell personal stories as true as I can possibly remember, which is pretty true if I bother to remember at all, and pretty verifiable if I'm bothering to remember or else it really means nothing to remember it because nobody will ever believe anything I feel worth remembering . . . whatever!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Just search vid932008 on www.google.ca to see it come up first in the list.On this site there are almost all the blog posts in an easily accessible non-linear format, as well as all the animation dating back to 2008, and most of the other artwork and poetry.

Since I get such a kick, still, out of blathering on about this stuff, here's the continuation of the discussion of HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's Two !

Verse 9

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east c went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

c9 OR seen when it rose

from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Two, New International Version

Verse 9

9 The three majesties went on their way when they had heard the head of the household, and the joy they knew in communion went ahead of them until it rested over a place of a child.

from the text of the animation, HESUS JOY CHRIST / Matthew's Two

written by R David Foster

Verse 9 Discussion

The Wise Men, or kings from the east, or Magi, are foreign to Israel, but are searching for the child they have learned about in their own way, and want to offer him valuable gifts to honour him.They have become aware of his importance by a completely foreign method, but nevertheless want to make the journey to honour him, with their gifts.It just goes to show that whatever good there is locally, it may take a foreigner to recognize it. As well, seek and you will find, or, knock and the door will be opened.Who knows what the baby Jesus could have meant to these foreign Magi.They had the means at their disposal to make not only the journey, being welcomed by the Jewish head of state, but to offer substantial gifts as well.These foreigners had their own reason to honour the baby. One may never know from where one may receive acknowledgment.

It is the same for the One in the animation. It is known by the three majestic daughters, but who is to know the what or the why of their pursuit. Nevertheless, they pursue the One, led by the joy they knew in communion.More could be said about this particular instance.

So the joy led the daughters, as the star led the Wise Men, always ahead of them and calling them onward, until it comes to rest over the place of a/the child.

The star is a sign of something beyond the baby Jesus, acting in accord with his birth, just as the joy is beyond the One, and acts according to the One's occurrence. But the One is not the child, or the man who acts as a child, but rather the relationship of the child and the three pursuers. How's that for speaking plainly ! It cannot be more plain than that.

Jesus, however, is the One for all time, as he is a perfect, historical, geographical, sociologicalperson balanced between whole and part, communion and agency, female and male, for all the world.But for us today, we may only witness to glimpses of the One, and may not ever in one's lifetime fully grasp the One, just as we may never in our lifetime fully comprehend Jesus.Generations will pass before the perfect balance may again exist in the form of a marriage.And this is the relationship of the One, which may rest on any partner, but nevertheless is the relationship with that partner, and not the partner themselves. The One, the divine infinite ultimate purpose, exists in the marriage relationship of two spouses.

This is not that complex, but many seem to stumble when they try to grasp it. It is like the right hand rule in physics.If the thumb of the right hand is extended, and the fingers allowed to curl naturally, then the direction the fingers point, around the direction of the thumb, is in a relationship to the direction of the thumb. The fingers may be pointing up or down or across the room, but their relationship with the thumb will always be the same.This is what the marriage relationship of the One is like – it doesn't matter what either spouse does, there is a relationship with the other spouse.

This idea of the One is built on the One and Many problem of philosophy. If there can be one of something, then how can there be many of something.Clay is one thing, but a piece of clay is another thing. Both are clay, but a piece of clay is different than clay. As well, if there is female then how can there be male. If everyone is the same, then how can we all be different individuals. Secondly, this one and many is manifested as female and male and is an opportunity to chart vast unfathomed areas of existence, since all knowledge has both a specific and a contextual aspect, as does all experience have both a specific and a contextual aspect.

The joy is found in this balance and union of whole and part, female and male, and acts like a beacon to all who encounter it. The joy of One is not limited to person to person relationships, but can exist in any other balance of whole and part. Take for example, the young man in a Ferrari !He can know a great deal of joy as long as his part of the car is in union with the whole of the road. But let this balance of whole and part deteriorate and for his part his car will fail to remain whole!

Furthermore, consider an adolescent, who is wondering which person they will kiss first. It doesn't seem to matter much who it is, but they still want to know who it will be !They are more in love with the idea of being in love, than actually being in love with any particular person.

This is why the animation text reads “. . . until it rested over the place of a child.” The joy is felt by the majestic daughters before they even meet the man, who acts like a child, but it comes to rest upon him.This may be influenced by his acting like a child, which will be discussed further, below, but is not really any of his own doing, other than being open to the relationship offered by the majestic daughters.And this could very well be enough!

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” or something or other like that.The joy of the One is far more apparent in children or childlike attitudes, and that is what the kingdom of heaven is like, a lot of people with childlike attitudes of wonder, awe, and auugh, with their hearts on their sleeves.There is a lot of joy in childhood, in spite of children not being in any way in control of their circumstances.

nuttin' . . .

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R David Foster is an independent minded, gregarious individual, seeking the path less trod, for the sake of those he loves - anyone who may countenance the eternal.
David Foster graduated Sheridan College Arts Fundamentals Intensive Program with Honours in 1993, and continued on into the Classical Animation program there.
As a member of the Liason of Independent Film of Toronto (LIFT), he recieved a grant from LIFT and a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to complete his 6 minute animated film "HYPOTHERMIA / My Kayak Prayer" in 35mm in 2008. He is now working on a sixth episode of his animated series HESUS JOY CHRIST, as well as watercolour painting weekly.